The Downfall of Aria: Fallen Angels
by moko371
Summary: ORIGINAL STORY. Lucy Brunel is trying her hardest to survive in the ruthless country of Liberta with her brother Sam. But after her parents died, everything went downhill. However one night, she is saved by the arrogant Uriel who tells Lucy she is actually the heir to a country floating in the sky. Along with a pair of wings, Lucy is ready to ascend the throne.
1. Chapter 1: Cat Eyes

"Have you ever heard of Aria?"

"What is that, grandma?"

"It's a magical country in the sky, a heavenly paradise..."

BAM!

Lucy's head flew up and had hit the wall that she was leaning against for support. Pain flashed, and for a moment Lucy saw stars. After a long and grueling day in the mines, Lucy was tired, grouchy, and having weird flashbacks to her younger self; her younger self, the beautiful past where everything had been absolutely perfect.

These days, Lucy had to work hard in the diamond mines to support her younger brother and herself. Ever since her mom and dad had died in the 12 car pile-up, nothing had been the same.

With her eyes half open, Lucy trudged slowly down the rotting stairs. Taking a glance at the hall mirror, Lucy grimaced when she took in her appearance. The long dirty blond hair that she had inherited from the mother was caked with dust. Her pale skin was covered with angry red scrapes and purple bruises were beginning to bloom. Underneath her weight, the stairs creaked. The house was beginning to crumble and cave in. Sooner or later, they would have to be evicted from the premises. As she grabbed her frayed blue coat, a shadow flickered outside the window. It was just for a second, but Lucy had sworn she saw a pair of enormous, green, cat-like eyes staring at her with an utmost fury.

But mind you, it was only a second. Lucy rubbed her own sky blue eyes with her fist, surprised at the suddenness of it all. She had never gazed into eyes like that in her 16 years. No human, or even animal, had glowing eyes like the ones she saw peering into the shack.

Tentatively, Lucy reached for the rusty doorknob and turned it. The splintered wooden door opened with an eerie creaking sound that would've frightened Lucy if the sky were darker. However, the blazing sun was just beginning its descent over the horizon. Darkness would not fall for at least an hour.

_Snap out of it, Lucy. It was just a slight apparition. Nothing to be afraid of._

Walking a little straighter, Lucy took the two miles to her brother's school.

* * *

St. Arnold's Academy was a run-down building, where the paint was peeling. Lucy had very little money to send Sam anywhere to receive a decent education. Stepping inside the school, a mixture of smells had hit her. Every time you walked inside, a wave of ammonia, mushrooms, and burnt plastic filled your nostrils.

"There you are!"

A figure had flitted across the room and into Lucy's warm arms. She grinned and looked down to see a red haired boy smiling at her. Thirteen-year-old Sam was 5'4", fair-skinned, and possessed the same dazzling eyes she had

"You're late!" Sam exclaimed. "What happened? You're usually here right on the dot!"

Lucy chuckled. Seeing her brother all riled up had that effect on her.

"I know, I know. I dozed off, is all. How about we go home and cook something delicious?"

Sam perked up at the thought of smelling something ambrosial instead of the school stench. Being stuck inside St. Arnold's all day was like walking into quicksand and anticipating a hero to drag you out. He dashed down the checkered hallway with an angelic grace Lucy admired.

_As if he had wings_, Lucy thought. All of a sudden, she heard a deafening crash at the end of the hall. Startled and a little worried, Lucy sprinted down the hall and laid eyes on the catastrophe that was her brother. It looked like a maelstrom had passed through the school, leaving papers, books, pencils, and pens scattered everywhere. Sam was lying on his stomach not making a sound.

"Samael Brunel!" screeched a bespectacled teacher. This teacher was dressed head to toe in dull gray from her sensible shoes to the roots of her hair. Lucy realized that one of the educator's shoes were missing and hanging by the strobe ceiling lights. Struggling to stifle her laugh, Lucy covered her mouth with her fist.

"I have never seen such reckless behavior in my life! You could have killed me and our new star student, Mr. Uriel Lukas! Honestly, I should have you expelled!"

"Expelled?" croaked Lucy. She had worked so hard to support her brother's education every single day in the mines, just to let it all go by a heartless teacher. A roaring fire blazed in her stomach and fueled her anger. How dare she? The two siblings were barely getting along as it was, and this teacher was going to ruin what little they had of their lives? Not on her watch.

"Listen here, teach -"

"Ms. Robinson, I'm sure you could find an exception for Mr. Brunel here," the black- haired youth suggested. "You and I are not hurt, and I'm sure Mr. Brunel did not mean to threaten your life in any way."

"W-w-well, I...", started the flustered Ms. Robinson. "Ahem. Y-you are excused."

Lucy let out a sigh of relief. For a moment there, the spindly legged teacher had her going. She spun around to thank her rescuer, but stopped short, frozen on the spot.

"Sis? Hey, Lucy? What's wrong?" Sam had just pushed himself off the floor and brushed the dirt off his clothes. His sneakers squeaked noisily on the floor, and his curly hair was extremely messy. "You look a little paler than usual, like you've just seen a ghost..."

But Lucy could no longer hear her anxious little brother. His voice sounded distant and far off, as if he was calling to her in the desert. With a jolt of surprise, Lucy's eyes widened as she locked stares with a pair of gleaming green cat eyes.


	2. Chapter 2: Lucy's Demise

Hands shaking violently, Lucy glowered at her rescuer, Uriel Lukas, not knowing what to do. These days, her suspicions ran high, seeing as theft, murder, and arson were an all-time high. For a moment, everyone stood stock still, but Lucy swore she had seen a flash of recognition in his eyes. Her hand twitched toward the dagger she had hidden in her boot. After all, a girl couldn't take safety jokingly on any day.

He broke the silence first. To Lucy's shock, he let out a hearty baritone laugh that sounded almost...musical. "What's so funny?" asked Sam, clearly curious of this mysterious stranger. Due to the incident, Lucy had almost, okay, she had forgotten about her little bro. A quizzical look appeared on his face, like one would have when taking a test.

"After the doom and gloom of St. Arnold's, your silly antics are welcome in my life anytime!" chuckled Uriel as he patted Lucy on the shoulder. Lucy quickly swatted his hand away. "Well, it's getting dark out. You two should probably get going. Where do you live?"

"The dark side of the moon", muttered Lucy, who was cautious with the friendly stranger.

"I'll walk you home then," he cheerfully said, ignoring her mockery.

"There's no need, really."

"But I insist. After all, you never know when you need a knight in shining armor to come to your rescue."

"Don't flatter yourself, buddy."

* * *

As Lucy silently prepared the macaroni and cheese, Sam and Uriel were chatting up a storm in the living room. Uriel hadn't backed down from Lucy's stormy glare and had accompanied the two siblings on the long walk home. What Lucy would give for some peace and quiet. Apparently, Uriel was a very cheerful and happy-go-lucky person, who liked to help people. The downside to the "being charitable" thing, was that whenever Sam asked him a question, he would always answer diligently. She sighed softly, picking up a plastic tray full of cheesy pasta, but stopped when she heard three sharp raps on the front door.

Sam shouted, "I'll get it!"

With her breath held, Lucy hoped that it wasn't tax collectors or IRS auditors.

"Luce! Come out and play! It's just me!" A singsong voice rang out in the chilly air.

Lucy exhaled and ran out to meet the owner of the melodic voice. Standing on the porch was Leah Caecus, Lucy's best friend since childhood and her next door neighbor. Leah was Lucy's ever so peppy and optimistic counterpart. She practically radiated sunshine, and could instantly brighten your day. Lucy was also very jealous of Leah's looks. She looked fabulous no matter what she did, with her short cut brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. Other people would look plain and blah with these features, but Leah made it work every single time. Leah was always welcome at the Brunel's, as well as her mother, Cecilia Caecus.

"It's been a long time since you've visited, Leah. I was getting worried about you, and I was going to come over if I hadn't run into a little company," Lucy mumbled.

"No need, no need!" exclaimed Leah. "Mother and I are doing fine! She just needed some more help with business, since Dad has gone off again. Healing is a pretty serious topic, you know." Leah had been grimacing a little as she talked. Healing wasn't exactly her forte, and her doctor of a father had run off on another healing expedition in another far off country. "Besides, mother has a good reputation in town as a healer. It's not that easy to chase away her customers. And, hello, who is this?" Leah had just spotted Uriel sitting casually on the flowery pink sofa. "I never knew you had company, Lucy. Am I intruding?" She eyed Uriel as cautiously as Lucy did when she had met him at first. Although there was something very un-Leah-like in that glare, something ferocious.

"Not at all," Uriel had brushed off the glare and had grinned at Leah as he had when meeting Lucy and Sam. "In fact, I think we were settling down for some dinner. Would you be joining us? If it's not too much trouble for Miss Brunel."

"No, I'm sorry. I have to hurry back home. I'll see you later, Lu," muttered Leah. Turning her icy glare to the door, she marched out.

There was another awkward silence as the three of them ate their macaroni. When everyone was finished, they said their goodbyes and Uriel left. Lucy collapsed into a green starred armchair, completely exhausted. It had been the strangest day ever. She had seen a pair of mysterious green eyes that looked so similar to Uriel's and Leah was acting so cold to him. Something she never did when meeting a stranger. Unless, they had met before...but Lucy disregarded that last thought. Leah wasn't the kind of person who would mix with Uriel's kind. Intelligent, charming, and most likely shrouded in secrets.

Settling into bed, with a whole hearted sigh, Lucy started her nightly review of the day. Yep, this review was way different than the others. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of person Uriel was, and as she did so, she started to drift off into a peaceful sleep...

* * *

"_Sirena_," hissed a lilting voice. "_Volucria_."

Lucy sat up in her bed, ruffling the gray bed sheets. Very soft footsteps were making their way upstairs, unrecognizable footsteps she hadn't heard before. Which meant there was an unwelcome intruder in the house, one that could provide a lot of damage. She silently reached for her dagger concealed in her bedside table drawer and tiptoed to the door. When she made it outside of her room, Lucy inched her way down to Sam's bedroom, hopeful that nothing had happened to him.

All of a sudden, a blurred figure leaped out of nowhere towards Lucy, claws outstretched. Instinctively, Lucy ducked, missing the sharp points by centimeters. She looked closely at the figure, while her eyes adjusted to the dark, and saw that the shape was crouching to attack, fur standing on end.

_Fur?! This is an animal? I thought I had heard a voice. Getting rid of the intruder will be easier than I thought. _And then she saw the eagle's head that basically looked like it had erupted from the lion body. Lucy stood rooted to the spot, afraid to move, afraid to say or scream anything. _What the f-_

"Get back!"

Another shape pounced and slammed Lucy against the opposite wall with a loud crack. It was over in seconds, or so it had seemed, since Lucy might have been delusional, you never could know. The pale figure and the eagle-lion hybrid were circling each other warily, and with a growl the two shapes collided, leaving one injured and the other dead. Blood ebbed and oozed from the furry feathered body, and Lucy knew she had had enough when she felt herself lose consciousness on the dirty wooden floor and slipped into a deep slumber.

"What should I do, Leftkin? She's unconscious, you know, not waking up?"

"I know what unconscious means, you dope! Just because I'm a dog doesn't mean I'm dumb."

"Sorry. I'm just a little worried."

_Weird. One of those voices sounds familiar. But the other is a little weird. A little gruff. Wait a second, what happened? Why am I on the ground? Oh yeah, that's right, some weird thing came into the house and I sort of fought with it._

"Ugh..." And at that moment, Lucy came to her senses. "Sam! Where's Sam? Is he okay?"

"Right here Sis," replied Sam nonchalantly. "But that's my line. I should be asking if you're okay. After all, you took a really bad fall on the floor."

"I think I'm fine, but what just happened? I saw an intruder, and then...ugh, it's so blurry..."

Lucy drifted off in a daze, surprised once again, at the scene she saw before her. In front of her own eyes, she placed her stare on an enormous furry dog covered with pristine white fur and red tips. No, dog didn't do the creature justice, it looked like the size of a bear. The thing looked at Lucy and its eyes widened a little. Next to the bear-sized dog was Uriel dressed all in black, and with a grim smile on his angelic face.

"Ah, Lucy, you're up. I thought you would've woken up later, so that Sam could tell you all the details instead of me."

"What details?"

"Uriel Lukas!"

Lucy snapped her head to the right, where the door was flung open on its rusty hinges. The door snapped off, and landed on the wooden floor. Leah stormed onto the threshold and grabbed Uri by his jet black cotton shirt. Leah's face was plastered with an emotion that could only be described as linked to violence and murderous intent. "Now now, let's not get too hasty shall we?" Uri suggested.

"What did you think you were doing?! Coming to Liberta? The beasts can track you down by your scent, you have already gone through your rites of passage! You can protect yourself! Are you trying to do this to annoy me?! What kind of idiot are you?" Leah had only shown this side of her once before, when a boy had teased her for having no father. The fool had taunted her relentlessly every time they went to school, and on the way there, Leah had punched him in the eye. The idiot kept a five yard distance away from Leah, and by association Lucy, at all times. But Uri was not like the snot nosed boy from school, instead he gazed head on at Leah with a calm expression.

"First of all, I am protecting the heir to the throne, that is what the Lukas clan have done for many a millennia. Second, as much as I love to annoy you, I would never try to endanger her majesty. And third, I am a handsome idiot, as you well know." Uri produced some stunning answers that confused Lucy, with a cheeky grin. Leah trembled with uncontrollable rage, and backed away a few steps, releasing her hold on Uri's shirt. Concerned, Lucy walked over to Leah and patted her on the back, trying to ease her best friend's anger, and at the same time trying to ease her own emotions. What the hell had just come through the Brunel household? What relationship did Leah have with Uri? Why was an eleven foot dog with Uri? What did Uri mean by "heir to the throne" and "her majesty"? And when would she stop worrying about monsters, human or not, bursting through the front door?


	3. Chapter 3: Her Royal Majesty

"Ahem," Uriel coughed. "I think we should all sit down, calm down, and I'll explain everything." Leah opened her mouth for a rebuttal, but Uri interrupted her. "Leah, this is of utmost importance. If you wish to save your country, you will do what I say. Quickly, she snapped her mouth shut and sat down on the slashed couch. "Thank you. Now then, Lucy you must have some questions. And I'll be glad to answer them for you."

Raising her eyebrows, Lucy took the seat next to Leah and turned to face Uri. Sam, who was standing idly by, scurried over towards the two girls. "Fine, then. I'll start with...who are you?"

"I am Uriel Lukas of the Arian royal guard. I serve only those who belong to the immediate royal family of Harmonia." Uriel rattled off his answer as if he had spoken these words many times before.

Lucy carefully worded her next question. "What was that thing that came in here? You know the abnormal eagle-lion thing?"

"Oh, that? That 'thing' was a griffin. They usually don't waltz into public places, and they usually don't attack humans. I say 'usually', because they attack when provoked."

"Uh...huh. Ok..."

"Hey, what about me?"

Lucy looked around the room to find out where the gruff voice was coming from, and she came face to face with the bear-dog. Lucy let out a small yelp of surprise, and the dog seemed to smile a little bit. "Excuse me, your majesty. I forgot that you're not accustomed to my appearance yet. Pardon me for a moment." In an instant, the beastly dog shrunk down into a regular dog form. "Is this more to your liking?"

"Um...either is fine, I guess."

"Why, thank you, princess."

"Uh, what's your name?"

"I am Leftkin, at your service, princess."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Lucy turned towards Uri. "Why are you guys calling me Princess? Is it some sort of nickname? I've never had one, so I was just wondering..."

Uri's face crumpled into a grimace and he looked a little sheepish as he tugged at the chain that hung on his jeans. "Not so much of a nickname, more like a title. You see, you _are_ a princess." For a second, there was a thick aura in the room, only to be replaced by Lucy and Sam's guffaws of laughter. Wiping tears from her eyes, Lucy took sharp gasps of air to stop her giggling.

"Say what? Me, a princess?" But then Lucy saw the serious and stern expression on Leah. "No. No. NO! That's not true, right? I've been living in poverty all my life! How can I take that seriously?"

"Well, Luce, it is 100% fact," stated Leah. She had stayed silent during the conversation, and this was the first time she spoke up. "You are actually Lucia Brunel Di Cielo Harmonia, princess of Aria and heir to the throne. Your parents hid this fact from you, because they knew you would be targeted. My mother, father, and I were sent here with your family so that we could protect you. My dad doesn't really go on healing missions, he has to give monthly reports to Aria. Right now, the throne of Aria is being guarded by the Lukas family, seeing as there was and still is a threat to the monarchs. A.K.A. your mom and dad."

"Wait just a moment. Did you just say Aria? But Aria's angel country! I don't have wings! None of us do, that's proof right there that I am not Arian, let alone Arian royalty!"

"That's probably because Arians don't get their wings until they become 16. Those who are under 16 can fly, but not as fast and not for very long. You were never aware of your capabilities, so you never tried it," quipped Uri. "As for evidence, I can prove that you are a member of royal blood. Show me your right arm.."

"What? My right arm? What's that got to do with-"

"Just show him your arm already!" yelled Sam, getting tired and impatient. He seemed enthusiastic about this situation and was thoroughly ready to embrace his role as a prince.

Lucy turned beet red and rolled up her long white sleeves to show Uri her arm.

"Mmhm. Just like I thought", mumbled Uri as he examined her arm.

"What is it?"

"You have the shape of wing on the upper part of your arm. Is it a birthmark?"

"Yes..."

"Only the heir of the Arian throne has this birthmark. It'll change once you are fully recognized as the monarch, though."

"Holy crap! Does that mean, I'm really-  
"Yep, you are royalty, just like I said. And seeing as how you're floating on thin air, you are also Arian as well."

"What are you talking about, U-" Lucy took a peek at her feet, and sure enough, she was floating 5 inches off the ground. "Oh. My. G-" She was cut off, when she broke her concentration and slammed to the ground. "Did I just- Was that a-"

"That was so cool, sis! I never knew you could do that!" exclaimed Sam as he ran over to Lucy to help her up. "Neither did I," replied Lucy.

"With a little concentration, you can do the same thing," Uriel said.

"Seriously?" By this time, Sam was bursting with excitement. _And who wouldn't?_ Lucy thought. _He just found out that he's royalty and Arian royalty, no less. After years of being poor and hardworking, anyone would love to live it up in an Arian palace. Not to mention the flying isn't a bad bonus either. I just want to know if we'll be safe or not._

"So what happens next, Uri?" asked Leah. Her stern expression was targeted mostly towards him, and she didn't look very happy to be having this talk. "Are you going to take her to Aria now? Will she be safe there? Because you know that for thirteen years, we have served the Harmonia family faithfully and with no hesitations, here on Liberta. If you plan to leave with Lucy and not take me, you've got another thing coming!"

"Don't worry, Leah. I have all intentions of including you. After all, we are childhood friends. And besides, I'm going to need all the help I can get to protect the princess. Aria has changed since the Harmonia family advocated the throne."

"What do you mean?" Lucy did not like the tone of Uri's voice. This was the voice that her father had used whenever they were in tough situations, like when burglars were intruding.

"The Lukas family can't hold off the enemies any longer. There are many others who pose a threat to the throne and wish to cease it for themselves. Kain Nikolaos is one of the strongest, and he's gathered a lot of power for an ex-soldier," said Uri. "He used to be one of the Harmonia's most faithful agents. But he turned on us, and forced the Queen and King, along with their family, to flee the land."

Biting her lip, Lucy looked down at the floor. What would she do? If she went to Aria, she would be introduced to politics and war, things that did not bode well with her and her tormenting headache. But if she stayed in Liberta, she and Sam would probably be attacked again, seeing as the two of them were a prince and a princess on their own without protection. So with a sigh, Lucy declared, "Alright! We're in. Let's go to Aria."

Sam let out a whoop of laughter, Uri grinned meekly, and Leah gave Lucy a pained smile to signify that no matter what happened, she would always stick with her. Suddenly, Uri jumped to his feet and a jagged dagger flashed into his hand, appearing out of nowhere. Lucy opened her mouth to ask what in the world he was doing, but Uri placed his finger on his lips to shush them. Ever so quietly, Uri shuffled towards the doorway where the night's jet black darkness camouflaged his black hair and his dark clothes. He stopped at the doorway, which was basically a large rectangular hole since the door was taken off. Raising the silver knife slightly, Uri dashed out the door and Lucy could hear a shriek coming from outside. Lucy, Leah, Sam, and Leftkin rushed outside to see what was wrong and they found Uri standing over a brunette with his knife inches away from her neck. The next thing she knew, Leah sprinted and landed a flying kick into Uri's stomach and he dropped the knife which plunged into the brown dirt.

"What do you think you're doing, you jerk?!" screamed Leah. "That's my mother! And unless you don't know, she's the only family I've got left, you idiot!"

"Ah. Sorry, Mrs. Caecus," apologized Uri and immediately stood up to take a curt bow.

"Oh, that's quite all right, Uriel. After all, it is your job to serve and protect Lady Lucia. She is your first priority," Cecilia reassured him. "I'm sure you informed her about her heritage and all of the dangerous things that she'll have to face?"

"Mother!"

"I'm sorry, Leah, but it's the truth. What kind of princess would she be if she didn't gather some experience?"

"So what are you doing here, Mrs. Caecus? You were poised right outside the doorway listening to our conversation," quipped Uri.

"I only came in halfway and I didn't want to interrupt your story," chirped Cecilia. "And call me Cecilia. Mrs. Caecus makes me feel so old."

"But you are-," started Sam, but Lucy slapped her hand over Sam's loose lips. "How about we get back inside the house to sort everything out? As you know, we've agreed to take the trip to Aria."

"Tomorrow we will be departing. But I am going to tell you how this is going to work, Lucy," Cecilia stated, face straightening into a motherly expression.

"Alright. So what's going to happen? And how are we going to get to Aria? I haven't seen it in any map before."

"One question at a time, please. You've always been a curious child. It was lucky that Vivian was a chatterbox herself."

Lucy winced at the sound of her deceased mother's name and tried to stop squirming in her seat. The anticipation wouldn't stop swimming in her head. She was about to embark on an adventure! Something that she had never done before in all her life.

"Since you cannot manifest wings yet, we'll have to go on foot. Once we get to the checkpoint, I'll tell you the rest."

"Checkpoint?"

"Well, yeah Luce," interrupted Leah. "Aria is the land in the sky. You just can't use walking power to get there."

"Oh," muttered Lucy, the blood rushing to her cheeks, flushing with embarrassment. "Sorry."

"Quite all right dear," soothed Cecilia. "You don't really know much about Aria in the first place. So that makes me wonder, what do you know about it?"

"Right now, I know that Aria is a land in the sky, people who are born there can fly, and there are bad guys in Aria who want to take over the throne that is actually mine."

"Good, good," mumbled Cecilia as she reached towards the black cloth bag that was hanging on her shoulder. She reached inside and jumbled around until she pulled out a small white box. "Here, for you. This was left to me from your parents. I was given strict orders not to give it to you until the time that we would depart this place for Aria." She carefully placed in Lucy's outstretched trembling hands. "Go ahead and open it."

Lucy's hands were pale white and looked as if they were drained of any blood that was there. Sam became solemn and gazed at the box with sorrow. She and Sam had lost their parents at such a young age, and he only remembered a few years of his time spent with their mom and dad. Shaking, she pulled off the top of the box and peered inside the box. She half-expected there not to be anything inside the box, since it was feather light, but sitting inside was a phoenix charm with red rubies set as eyes hanging on a gold chain. It was the most extravagant gift she had ever received and she was curious on how her parents secured such an expensive looking necklace, but almost slapped herself when she remembered that they were a king and queen. They probably had snagged it when they were escaping with her and her infant brother. Gently, Lucy slipped the necklace out of its box and stared at the phoenix. It reminded her of the story that her mother had told her many years ago.

"I want a bedtime story!" _exclaimed 7-year-old Lucy as she was tucked into bed by her weary mother. Vivian looked at the ceiling and pretended to think long and hard._

"Alright, I've got one you've probably never heard before. It's a story about a phoenix and the beautiful city that she protected."

_Lucy quietly hampered down, eager to listen to a tale that her mother often spun for her. Vivian was a magnificent storyteller and could weave a scene into your head as if you were really in the plot. Lucy scooted over in her bed so that her mother could lie down next to her. Vivian closed her eyes for a few seconds as she always did before creating her tale. Then her mother's blue eyes snapped open and she began._

"A long time ago in a country far far away, there was a beautiful phoenix. It was covered from head to claw in fiery red plumage. The phoenix looked like a brilliant fire burning from far away. This phoenix protected the country, and would help anyone who was in need of her service. She was a prize, not just because of her looks, but because she had mysterious powers that no other creature possessed. Inside of her body was a roaring fire of magic that could manifest itself as tears. You see, the phoenix brought good luck to anyone she deemed fit. Not only that, but she could cry tears of healing and perform amazing feats of magic. She could put out forest fires in a second and she could prevent hurricanes or any sort of disaster.

"But one day, something horrendous happened," _Vivian whispered._ "The phoenix disappeared." _Lucy gasped and hid her face under the covers, scared to hear what came next. She could envision torrents of pictures of the phoenix in a mess of its own blood. Vivian continued on with the story, so caught up with her own story that she didn't even realize her daughter's reaction._

"The people were confused and heartbroken that the phoenix had left them. She would never leave them alone on purpose, would she? They started to doubt the phoenix and became very worried. Who would help them in their times of need? The phoenix was the only thing that stood in the way of the 7 dragons that stood on the borderline of their country. Those dragons would just love to cross the border and attack all of the poor helpless villagers." _Lucy whimpered under the woolen blankets._ "Then, one day those dragons eventually paid a visit to the villagers. Before they ate anyone though, they spoke. The dragons told the villagers that they had finally killed their beloved phoenix. That the phoenix they had all loved and worshiped had tried to escape and abandon them. Most of the villagers believed this lie, and the dragons proceeded to slowly murder and destroy them. However, there were a few believers that hid in the crowd of disloyalty. Those few people were very strong and kind-hearted, and devised a plan to push the dragons out of the country." _At this point, Lucy squealed with delight, glad how the story was going._

_"_Sadly, the villagers didn't have the strength or power it took to fight the dragons. After all, each dragon contained the strength and stamina of a 1000 men. Late at night, when the dragons had retreated to their cave, a young man had a dream. He was one of the good-hearted villagers and wished to put an end to the slaughter as soon as possible. In his dream, the phoenix appeared and told him to protect the rest of the villagers. When he woke the next morning, his eyes widened in amazement to see a scarlet feather clutched in his hand. The youth was so relieved because he finally had proof that the phoenix still lived. In his relief, he kissed the feather and all of a sudden the feather emitted bright light, enveloping the young man in a warm sensation. He had no idea what just happened, but believed that kissing the feather was a good luck charm from the phoenix so he told him comrades and all of them willingly obliged to kiss the feather. Like the young man, they too felt a calming effect from the feather."

"After their ritual, the villagers advanced towards the dragons' cave with the young man acting as leader. The dragons laughed at the young man and his followers, believing he was a fool. Just as they were about to burn him to a crisp, however, the young man felt a surge of pain course through his body. His eyes burned, his head ached, and his back ached as black feathers started to sprout from between his shoulder blades. What happened to the young man also occurred in the other villagers' bodies as well. Fortunately, the agony was soon over and the dragons were too shocked to move so the villagers took advantage of the opportunity and advanced. They found out through fighting the dragons that they had acquired a strength that could put Hercules to shame and a speed that would humiliate even the most agile of animals. Some had even attained a sort of magic that allowed them to manipulate the laws of nature. Those villagers did defeat and chase the dragons off their land, but the dragons swore they would come back and they did. Unfortunately for them, those villagers were very brave and strong, so they became the phoenix's substitute. They would become the wall that stood in the way of the dragons, and they were sure that the phoenix would one day come back for them, annd when she did, they would embrace her with open arms, ready to welcome her." _And with that last sentence, Vivian ended her yarn. She attempted to get off the bed, but Lucy pulled at her sleeve and asked, _"But what happened to the phoenix?"

_Vivian seemed almost sorrowful when she looked at Lucy, but she cleared the look off her face and sat down once again to give her daughter the ending that was satisfying to her. _"The phoenix, sadly, did die that day when the dragons came. You see, the phoenix was growing old and knew that her power was weakening."

"But don't phoenixes live forever?" _asked Lucy questioningly._

"No, they don't," _said Vivian to a very crestfallen Lucy. _"But they can rise up once again."

_With that, Lucy perked up, intent to soak up every little bit that Vivian said. _"The phoenix is a bird that is reborn from its ashes; endlessly living and dying, a symbol of eternity." _Once again, Vivian made another attempt to say 'goodnight' to Lucy, but she grabbed her shirt tails and told her mother, _"But you still didn't tell me what happened to the phoenix!" _With a sigh, Vivian replied, _"Well, the phoenix was reborn again. She had fled the land so that she could protect her beloved villagers and keep them safe. However, she did not return to that land. It was too dangerous at the time, and she was just a hatchling, too young to fight yet. With each rebirth, the phoenix started in a new cycle of life. From a baby to a child to an adolescent to an adult and then to an old bird. The phoenix would have to wait until the time her power was strong enough to battle the dragons again. And the story ends there."

"But-"_ complained Lucy._

"But nothing. Even I don't know what happened next.. You'll just have to see how the story ends," _And with those cryptic words, Vivian took her leave of Lucy's bedroom. _"Good night, il mia aviaria."

_Il mia aviaria_, Lucy thought. _My bird._


	4. Chapter 4: Passage to Aria

The next day, Lucy woke up in her bed next to the sleeping body of Uriel Lukas. Within an instant, Lucy let out a bloodcurdling scream. In a snap reaction, Lucy kicked Uri off the bed and sent him crashing into the opposite wall. She heard sprinting footsteps coming up the stairs and down the hall, and her bedroom door burst open. Standing at the door was a pajama clothed Sam, a bedhead Leah, and a tired looking Cecilia. And on the floor lay a dazed Uri who had woken up in the instant after Lucy's foot had made connection with his stomach. Slowly, Uri sat up on the floor and eyed Lucy cautiously. "Is there something wrong, Lucy?"

"Don't give me that! What were you doing in my bed?"

"You fell asleep on the sofa, so I carried you up here, where you could rest a bit better than on the couch."

"Still doesn't answer my question!" exclaimed Lucy.

"You had an iron grip on my shirt, so I planned to wait it out until you would release your hold, but I guess I must've dozed off."

"You're such a tease Sis," snickered Sam grinning toothily at her.

"If only you had better taste in men Lucy," teased Leah, who gave a hand to Uri to help him. Apparently, their little fight was brought to a close, and they were acting like friends. Lucy looked helplessly at Cecilia, who was still groggy from waking up so early in the morning. And then Cecilia opened her mouth to speak. "I hope you used protection last night."

Lucy gaped at Cecilia, and everybody burst into buckles of laughter.

"All right, did everyone pack?" asked Cecilia. "I trust that you packed only the most valuable things to you and things we might need on this trip?"

"Yes'm," replied Sam. Lucy took a glance around the living room. Although the couch was slashed in two, the living room was its usual self. _This may be the last time I'll ever see this place again._ It may have been a wreck, but this house held all of her precious childhood memories. Her hand self-consciously reached up to the phoenix necklace clasped around her neck. _I guess this will have to do._ And with one last look around the house, they each stepped foot outside the door; Cecilia, Sam, Leah, Lucy, Leftkin, and Uri. The trip wasn't as long as one would think, and Lucy automatically thought that the journey was going to be hard and grueling. But they only had to walk five miles, where they stopped in front of a vast wide open area of grass and daffodils. It seemed pretty normal, until you examined the daffodils closely. Each one of them glowed with light that could be mistaken as sunshine reflected off of the soft petals. Cecilia picked one up, threw it into the air and mumbled a few words. A shiny disk the size of a tea saucer appeared in front of her face, just a hair breadth away from Cecilia's face. The disk was glowing with a pristine blinding buttercup yellow, but Cecilia didn't flinch a bit. Then, Cecilia uttered one final word,"Aperto".

All of a sudden, a door shot out from above the ground, tangled with ancient looking vines. Leah started poking at the aged green vines, but Uriel moved her away from it, and Lucy thought she saw one of the vines creep up her arm. "Hm, what was the final word to open the gate?" asked Cecilia, who was faced towards Leftkin. "I haven't spoken Arian for some time, and I'm afraid I'm losing the magic tongue." But as soon as her neck turned, vines grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her upward. A torrent of vines had grabbed everyone, including the struggling Leftkin who was biting into the vines, but none of the vines budged. "What is this?!" screamed Lucy as she swatted at the attacking plants.

"Grmpsh", Leah's voice was muffled by the vines which were creeping down her body. The vines were apparently growing tighter and looked as if it was going to crush the living daylights out of them. Lucy heard the wind swish and gazed upwards as one of the creeping vines approached her. Bracing herself for the assault, Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, but she felt nothing touch her. Opening her eyes, Lucy saw Uri with a sword, sunlight glinting off of it. He had sliced the vine and protected her from its suffocating grip. At her left, Lucy heard Leftkin howl in pain and she cringed at the tormented wolf's yell. "Who knows what the password is?!" Cecilia screamed. "We just need to say it, and the vines will stop trying to kill us!" Lucy bit her lip and glanced at Uri, but he was busy trying to release Leah from the vines stronghold. _What am I going to do? I don't know anything about other languages! But I've got to save Leah and everyone else!_ "Go AWAY!" Lucy yelled at the vines, and all of a sudden, she was surrounded in a bright light. At that moment, she felt as if her body was bursting with electrifying energy. But as soon as the feeling came to her, it left. To her surprise, the vines reluctantly recoiled and disappeared. Leah pulled herself to her feet and blinked at Lucy in an unexpected shock. "How did you do that?" she asked.

"I-I-I-" Lucy replied. "I don't know. I just wanted them to stop strangling you. "

"It certainly looked as if you were casting a charm," Uri interrupted. "And an extremely powerful one too. Only nobles and the royals can cast spells of that caliber."

Cecilia dusted off her khakis and joined in with the conversation. "Yes, both of you are right. Lucy wasn't herself when she chased away the vines. But I'd rather we step through the portal before it disappears. Shall we?" She gestured at the now open gates that were emitting a now dimming light. Hesitantly, Lucy stepped through the portal and felt a soothing calm take the pressure from her shoulders. When she opened her eyes, she couldn't believe what she was looking at. It was the most jaw dropping place she had ever laid eyes. She was scared that the next time she blinked; it would disappear and cease to exist. What she was standing on was indeed land, but if she squinted from the tall peak of the mountain that she was on, she could make out clouds surrounding the edge of the land. It looked like they were all on an island floating in the sky. _But that's impossible, isn't it? Well, I don't know what to believe anymore. I saw a huge monster barge into our house, saw a very attractive guy beat the crap out of it, got attacked by plants, and then stepped through a magical portal to end up here._

Lucy was standing on a mountain ledge, and she gazed at the beautiful scenery in front of her. There was an enormous city standing before her, a forest separating it from the mountain. The city was hustling and bustling with all sorts of people, and even though she couldn't see it, she knew that it was a peaceful harmonious kind of place. A smile crept up on her face and she burst into tears. This place was beyond her wildest dreams and she never knew it had existed before. Of course, there was talk of the country of Aria, but it was always deemed a myth in her hometown. Lucy was attached to Aria when she first lay eyes on it and she thought to herself _I have to protect it_ as if it had always been her duty to do so.

She sensed Uri's presence right away as he walked over to his crying princess. He stooped down to join her on the mountain ledge. "Welcome home, your highness."


	5. Chapter 5: The Palace's Gates

"This. Is. Amazing," Lucy gasped. "I can't believe that this place actually exists."

"I know right?" murmured Sam as he jogged towards Lucy. The two of them were gaping at the shimmering city in front of them. When they gazed ahead of them, they could see how peaceful the place really was. There was a marketplace where shoppers roamed freely, gathering ingredients for the impeding dinner, teens going on romantic walks, children running around just having fun. It was everything anyone could ever dream of and more.

"Are you two going to stay there and gawk at the city, or are you guys going to be coming with us _to _the city?" Leah asked sarcastically. "Cuz if you're done right now, we'd like to get moving now." Lucy started walking, but hesitated before doing so. This location was a myth to Earthland dwellers, and it could all be an illusion to her. With one single step, the illusion could break and be all over, swiping away the gossamer curtains blocking her sight. But even if it was an illusion, the truth always put her at ease, no matter how cruel reality was. Whether it be the illusion of a city or the illusion that the peace they had with their family was still there. So with a reluctant sigh, Lucy went on, walking down the path that would lead her to the city, and eventually to the center of the country in the sky – Regio Castello, the royal palace.

The entire crew was wearing dark red cloaks while they took a stroll through the marketplace to get to the palace. Lucy was already growing weary from traveling, and it seemed to take forever to get their checkpoint. She fingered her necklace absentmindedly and wondered aloud, "Why do we have to wear cloaks?"

"We don't want any civilians realizing who you really are," replied Uri.

"It's not like anyone knows who I am, U—"

"Don't say my name."

"Why, exactly?"

"People know me here, and they know that I go on official business. You're wearing a cloak because your appearance would clearly give us away." Lucy looked at him funnily and Uri had to continue explaining for her. "The royal family has a certain appearance; you know high cheekbones, the perfect hair, and most of all: the determined look in their eyes. And even if we do conceal you with that cloak, it doesn't mean we can conceal your aura."

Lucy's eyes widened momentarily. "What do you mean aura? People can see auras?"

"Only mages can—"

"Alright guys! We're here!" Leah interrupted in a sing-song voice. "Feast your eyes, Luce! This will be your new place of residence, the beautiful and all-mighty Regio Castello!"

Cecilia pressed one hand to her cheek in aghast. "Whatever happened to subtlety? Didn't we agree not to talk about royal matters so that we didn't reveal the principessa?" She let out a sigh and shook her head with disbelief. "Ah, never mind. We're here already, if there's a mistake, guards will come out. But I don't want there to be a riot, so let's hurry and get inside." With a nod, everyone looked ahead and waited for the next moment to come, and then Lucy's jaw dropped. In front of them was a magnificent castle built like an underwater Atlantis, the building was a gleaming white, but lines and stones were set in the castle. Each line and rock was a different color of many hues and shades, and only made the palace look even more regal and jaw-dropping. Black iron gates sat in front of the group, guarding the palace and looked too delicate to protect the awe inducing palace in front of them.

"Um, how are we supposed to get in? Is there some sort of secret doorway or something?" Lucy asked.

Cecilia chuckled, "No, don't worry. All you have to do is touch the gate. It will sense who you are and what your intentions are, whether it be good or evil. Go ahead, Lucy." Lucy hesitantly reached out to the cold metal and placed one hand on the gates, which immediately opened and allowed her to partake in the full glory of Regio Castello. The trimmed lawns gleamed with fresh morning dew and all sorts of flowers grew in the gardens, reaching out as if beckoning to her. Lucy took in her second large intake of breath that day while she checked out her surreal surroundings.

Uriel glanced at Lucy as she rubbed the petals of a gigantic bush of lilacs. The sunlight reflected off of her loose blond curls tied up in an equally loose ponytail. Biting his lip, he glanced down at the ground and almost stumbled backwards. Leah was squatting on the ground, gazing upwards in a knowing gaze with a teasing smile playing at her mouth. "Staring at our beautiful princess, are we? Better keep your distance, Lukas." After delivering her message, Leah leapt up, brushed off her traveling cloak, and picked up her pace to join Lucy who was making her way to the gigantic white doors. Making his way to the entrance of the Regio Castello, Uriel made sure to hide his reddening face behind free strands of his black hair.


	6. Chapter 6: An Imperial Greeting

Once the doors opened, Lucy almost had a heart attack when she stepped over the threshold of what would soon be her new home. The interior was more impressive than the exterior in more ways than one. Many detailed paintings of winged monarchs hung on the smooth crimson walls, which matched the fluffy red carpets. Priceless jade vases sat upon delicate, small, wooden tables and there were small lights bobbing in the air that weren't even suspended by wires. Lucy was pretty sure that the ceiling was made of gold and so high up that the crystal chandelier hanging there could crush and kill the many people who were greeting her at the door. Maids and butlers had gathered in even and straight lines, bowing and curtsying as she passed. Each butler wore black pants and a black coat over a crisp white shirt and black vest with a black tie. The entire panda ensemble was completed with white gloves. As for the maids, they all wore the classic maid outfit which included a long black skirted dress with a white apron. All maids wore their hair up in simple ponytails or buns in order not to stand out. At the end of both lines where the group of travelers stopped were a man and woman. Both sported the butler and maid outfits except this butler wore a golden hummingbird. Likewise, the maid also donned the golden hummingbird on her collar.

Lucy assumed right away that these two were the head butler and head maid and her assumptions proved right when they stepped out of line. The head butler had a stern expression and gray pepper hair but had greeted Lucy nonetheless. With a bow that looked as if he had bent in half, he spoke. "It is an honor to have you back, principessa. We have waited for so long to see you. I am the head butler, Lafayette Sumner. Next to me is the head maid—"

"I can introduce myself, thank you very much!" The lady next to Lafayette had long brown hair streaked with silver that was put up in a bun. She gave off a motherly aura when she smiled at Lucy and gave her a rib crushing hug. When the woman pulled away from her, she looked close to tears. "Oh, I remember when you were just a wee little baby and could barely crawl! Now look at you! You've become such a beauty. Look just like your father, what with those blue eyes of yours. But the gold hair comes from your mother. Ah, I'm sorry. You probably don't remember me. I'm Adrastia, your old nurse."

Lucy simply didn't know how to respond to the lady standing in front of her. After all of these years, she had returned to the place she must have once called home and to people who had known her before skimping and saving was a natural part of life. Luckily, Adrastia had some tact and moved on to greet the others. "Oh! Cecilia you haven't aged a bit! And this must be Leah. You and Lucy used to have such fun playing in the palace. Uriel, I hope you haven't been slacking off in Liberta. What am I talking about? You're a Lukas! I'm sure you did a fine job."

"Thank you Miss Adrastia," Uriel replied with a satisfied smile. Adrastia looked simply ecstatic with the newcomers and it seemed as if she might never wipe the grin off her face until she laid eyes on the blue eyes that lay further beyond the cat-like green ones. Behind Uriel stood Sam and Adrastia's smooth face crumpled into an expression of pity when she gazed into Sam's youthful one. Just as soon as Adrastia's expression changed, she slipped back into her previous cheerful demeanor. "I didn't know that you had a second child, _Cecilia_? Who is this?"

For the first time since Cecilia Caecus set foot on Arian soil, she had on a face full of regret mixed with a little bit of rare fear. Lucy had never seen her best friend's mother like this before and had hoped never to witness a time when Cecilia would ever feel vulnerable. However, she too wanted to know why a person who used to be so closely bonded with her didn't know about her own closely bonded brother. If Mr. Caecus had been sending in monthly reports about the Brunel family, wouldn't they know about the other remaining member of the royal family? It didn't really make any sense, and Lucy wouldn't go without making her opinions be heard or letting her questions go unanswered. "Yes. How come these good people don't know about my PARENT'S son and my little brother?" She turned to face Cecilia straight on and couldn't imagine why Cecilia and Rowan would ever lie about Sam's existence.

Once again, Adrastia slipped out of her calm and sunny manner and her eyebrows knitted together. A disapproving frown played at her lips and she no longer looked an ounce happy at all. "Are you telling me _this _child is the son of Vivian and Stefan? Why wouldn't you tell the Council about that? It's long overdue, but I think they deserve to know that there is another who bears royal blood. After all, he is another chance that the Harmonia line doesn't die out."

"I didn't want more trouble." As Cecilia uttered those words, heads turned expectantly to hear what she had to say and to explain why a celebration for the birth of an Arian prince had never been held thirteen years ago. Adrastia opened her mouth to speak, but Cecilia cut her off before she was given the chance to. "Lucy was already in enough trouble! Both sides knew that she had been born. Even though the Council knew she was safe, the other side also knew she was alive. Then Sam was born later in Liberta and I was tempted not to release the fact that there was another target for them to kill. I gave into temptation and kept my mouth shut. It was better for everyone to think there was one heir instead of two."

"What do you mean two?" asked Lucy. As confused as she was, the most puzzling part of the story was the fact that Cecilia had given her the impression that there could be two heirs at a time. "In a normal monarchy isn't it true that only one person can ascend the throne?"

"Well—"

"When more than one child is born to the king and queen the heir is not chosen right away," stated Lafayette, who had finally spoken up over the heated conversation. "It is tradition that the heir apparent is chosen in battle. They are pitted against each other, the siblings that is, and the winner becomes the heir."

"What happens to the loser?" Lucy questioned, although she had a very good guess at what the man was trying to say.

"The loser…is…how would one put this delicately…done away with."

"So what you're saying is…" Sweat was already making its way down her temple, heart pounding, fingers crossed, hoping that he wouldn't state the obvious.

"Now that the knowledge is out that there are two heirs, you must fight your brother for the crown."


End file.
